Illuminated sign.



No. 792,756. PATEN'IND JUNE zo, 1905. H. CHRISIENSBN.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28,1904` NTTED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT Fries.

HJALMAR CHRISTENSEN, OF SEATTLE, VASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ARAL GUSTAVUS VALIN, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,756, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed November 28, 1904. Serial No. 234,639.

To {1J/Z 11172/0711, it muy concern.-

Beitknown that I, HJALMAR OHnIsrnNsEN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Vashin'gton, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in illuminated signs, and has for its object to simplify and improve de- Vices of this type.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, to be fully referred to in the following specification and set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a sign-board, illustrating my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a View in perspective showing the sign-board and the letterframe removed therefrom.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide frames (designated as at l) conforming in contour to the outline of the desired letters. These frames are preferably formed of strips of sheet metal of suitable width to extend throughout the length of the electric-light bulbs employed for the purpose of illumination, the opposite walls of the frame being suitably spaced apart to receive said bulbs therebetween.

The sign-board (designated by numeral 2) is formed with an opening 2', conforming in outline to the contour of the letter-frame 1,within which opening the letter frame is snugly litted.

By reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be observed that the letter-frame projects beyond each of the opposite side faces of the sign-board and is preferably secured to said sign-board by means of nails 3 or the like, which penetrate the frame and extend into the board.

A removable base-board 4 is employed, extending the length of the sign-board, said base abutting the letter-frame l on the rear face thereof and serving as a background for the letter. Besides serving as a background for the letter the base-board 4 further acts as a medium for supporting the electric-light bulbs 5, the latter being arranged at suitable intervals within the bounds of the frame. The base-board 4 is formed with apertures for the reception of the lamp-sockets 6, the flanges 7 of which are secured to the rear side of the base by means of screws 8 or the like. Spacing-strips 9 are interposed between the signboard and the base-board, and suitable fastenings (see Fig. 2) pass through the base-board and spacing-strips and project into the signboard.

The thickness of the spacing-strips 9 depends upon the distance desired to project the letter-frame beyond the sign-board, the degree of projection being such as will render a pleasing and readable effect to the sign in daylight and being' governed by the elevation at which the sign is placed above the street-level.

The interior of the letter-frame, as well as that portion of the base-board which forms the background for the letter, is coated with enamel paint, which imparts a highly-glazed surface. The large area of reflecting-surface provided by the background and the letterframe, the latter extending throughout the length of the bulbs and abutting said background, greatly increases the total amount of reiiected light, due to interception of the light-rays at points to the rear of the bulbs and about the same, thereby obtaining greater' brilliance with the employment of comparativelyl few lamps.

A sign constructed as described embodies the combined advantage of cheap construction and efliciency.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a sign-board, a letter-frame projecting beyond the opposite side faces of said board, a removable base forming a background for said letter-frame, and electric lamps carried by the base-board and projecting into said letter-frame, the latter extending throughout the length of the lampbulbs.

2. In combination with a sign-board, having an aperture in the form of a letter, a baseboard spaced from said sign-board and attached thereto, electric lamps carried by the base-board and projecting through said aperture of the sign-board, and a letter-frame fitted in said aperture of the sign-board, said letter-frame abutting the said base-board and extending throughout the length of' the lampbulbs.

3. In combination With a sign-board having an aperture in the form of a letter, a baseboard, electric lamps carried by the baseboard and projecting through said aperture of the sign-board, spacing-strips interposed between said sign-board, and base-board, and

a letter-frame fitted in said sign-board aperture abutting said base-board and extending throughout the length of the said lamp-bulbs.

4. In combination with a sign-board having an aperture in the form of a letter, a series of electric lamps projected through said aperture, a letter-frame fitted in said aperture and extending throughout the length of the lam p-bulbs, and means removably secured to said sign-board and abutting said letter-frame to form a support for the lamps, forming a background for the letter.

5. In combination with a sign-board having an aperture in the form of' a letter, a letter-frame formed with an open front and back fitted in, said aperture and projecting beyond the opposite side faces of said board, a baseboard abutting said letter-frame and thereby forming a background for said letter, spacing-strips interposed between said base-board and` sign-board and secured to each, and electric lamps having their socketsprojecting through said base-board in apertures provided therefor and secured to said baseboard, said lamps extending Within said letter-frame, the latter extending throughout the length of the lamp-bulbs.

6. In combination with a sign-board having an aperture` a letter-frame projecting throughsaid aperture and being movable therethrough so that the degree of projection of' said frame from the-face of the signboard can be varied, and electric lamps projecting into said letter-frame.

7 In combination With a sign-board having an aperture, a letter frame movable through said aperture, and projecting beyond the opposite faces of said sign-board, a removable base-board abutting said letterframe, means for securing said base-board in position, and electric lamps supported on said base-board and projecting into said frame.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 14th day of' November, 1904.

HJALMAR CHRISTENSEN.

Witnesses:

C. A. MCKENZIE, L. H. PoNTIUs. 

